Will Commanders Daron Payne ‘blow up’ in contract year like he did with 11.5 sacks in 2022?

Henderson uses ‘dawg work’ as a cultural philosophy, breaking down the first half of the phrase into the core character traits required of his players:

• D-Discipline: Doing things the right way consistently and focusing on the details you control every day.

• A – Attitude: Bracing yourself with a positive, aggressive, and proactive mindset.

• W – Work Ethic: Showing up with a lunch-pail mentality, willing to put in effort when the cameras aren’t on you.

• G – Grit: Showing toughness and perseverance through physical and mental challenges.

Over his career in DC, Payne has accumulated 37 sacks, 432 tackles, and 65 tackles for loss. Primarily serving on the interior defensive line, he has spent over 3,000 snaps as a B-gap defender. The remaining 3,000 snaps of his career are roughly split between playing as an A-gap/nose defender, or lining up directly over the offensive tackle.

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He enters 2026 in the final year of the four-year, $90 million contract extension he signed with the Commanders on March 12, 2023. At the time of his signing, the deal included $60 million in total guarantees, with $46 million fully guaranteed at signing. His current contract ranks him 12th out of 289 interior defensive linemen leaguewide.

Many fans have joked that Payne possesses a “contract year” or “leap year” alter-ego due to his massive breakout performance in 2022 — the last time he was playing for a new deal. That season, Payne hit a career high-water mark of 11.5 sacks, soaring well above his career average of 3.5 sacks per year.

Heavy.com

Commanders rookie Antonio Williams intends to out-perform draft spot

On May 22nd, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn joined the ‘Sports Junkies’ show on 106.7 The Fan to discuss a wide range of topics. When asked about rookie Antonio Williams, he had nothing but praise for the young wideout.

“I think one thing that you see, like, right off the bat, like, man, this guy has feel,” Quinn said Friday. “He knows when to stop. He knows how to adjust. He just has, like, awareness already as like a big-time receiver. He’s got great hands, great movements to go. So, yeah, he’s off to a helluva start. We’ve got 15 rookies here, that are kinda into the space, and he has definitely been one that has absolutely jumped out. He’s got a real skill about him. So, yeah, we’re really pumped about Antonio.”

While breaking down a handful of Rookie wideouts for Bleacher Report, Moe Moton cited Williams as a prospect who could out-play where [he was] selected.

“Williams can take over the primary role out of the slot, though he could also be the No. 2 receiver on the perimeter. The versatile wideout played both roles in college,” Moton wrote. “Washington may have found its reliable secondary target who could develop in a similar mold to McLaurin, who was also a third-round pick in his class.”

Lining up all over the field in college, Williams proved he is a multi-dimensional threat at the wide receiver position. As he gets ready to enter the pros, he is striving to bring a similar level of versatility to the Commanders.

ESPN

NFL offseason 2026: OTA, minicamp dates for all 32 teams

Washington Commanders

OTA offseason workouts:

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Mandatory minicamp: June 16-18

Riggo’s Rag

Commanders OTAs could reveal first real shape of Jayden Daniels protection plan

Washington is stuck with Nick Allegretti as their projected starter and sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin as his backup.

With the Commanders’ organized team activities set to begin [this] week, we’re about to find out whether or not that’s enough.

Biadasz was an average starter during his two seasons in Washington, but Allegretti is far from a guarantee to even be that. He makes for an ideal plug-and-play backup due to his versatility around the line. Trusting him to be anything more is a dangerous game.

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Then, there’s Gulbin, whom the Commanders desperately hope turns out to exceed draft expectations.

The Michigan State product was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season nd received the best center grade in his class, per Pro Football Focus. He’s been praised for his football intelligence and reliability, playing every snap of his first 11 games last season.

But whether or not Gulbin translates to the NFL is a different story.

His athletic measurables aren’t great, and that matters more at the highest level. At the end of the day, if you’re looking to a sixth-round rookie for answers, you’re probably doing it wrong.

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RotoPat’s 2026 NFL GM rankings: Analysis for all 32 teams

24. Adam Peters, Commanders

Adam Peters went all in on 2025 [from BiB: I still marvel at this unfounded narrative that AP was “all in” because he signed a bunch of veteran free agents to vet minimum contract to fill out the roster; it’s a crazy assertion that is completely belied by the last sentence in this paragraph — you can’t have it both ways]. He is currently at the lobby ATM getting ready to buy back in. That was a bust of a campaign. There is no way to sugarcoat it. It’s nice to have a young star quarterback, but you probably aren’t going to win the Super Bowl if you lack skill player depth, offensive line depth, backfield depth and high-end defensive talent.

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Commanders fans can only hope it was a painful but necessary lesson in NFL team-building. There are no shortcuts [from BiB: Again, no shortcuts were taken in ’25; it was an interim season in a 4-year roster re-making that is still underway. Sorry, but this analysis is beyond uninformed; it’s just plain stupid]. That was felt most acutely during April’s draft, where last year’s deficit spending left the Commandos with only two top-100 selections [from BiB: the two missing draft picks were not flushed down the toilet; they were used to trade for the team’s elite starting left tackle, Laremy Tunsil], just one of which came in the top 70. That would be No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles, a meat-and-potatoes addition that at least showed Peters was no longer under the impression he was one player away. That followed a free agency where he loaded up on regular defensive contributors. Back to basics, you could say [from BiB: Continuing the process, I would say]. Humbling, but there’s nothing wrong with getting the message. If you’re going to put it all on the table, you better at least have the cards.

While we’re at it, here’s RotoPat’s 2025 analysis of Adam Peters:

11. Adam Peters, Commanders

Adam Peters made the NFC Championship Game his first year on the job. With a quarterback he drafted. With a coach he hired. With a defensive captain he signed in free agency. Other than that, it was a so-so season. So yes, Peters had the inaugural campaign dreams are made of. Although you could argue that there’s nowhere to go but down, Peters has kept his sights trained upward. He traded for a No. 1 cornerback in Marshon Lattimore, left tackle in Laremy Tunsil, and No. 2 wideout in Deebo Samuel. He used the No. 29 overall pick on a right tackle. Consider Washington’s primary needs addressed. Although this team is understandably playing for 2025, Peters now just needs to make sure he doesn’t sacrifice overall roster stability and depth for the transient present. There’s a reason Washington was picking No. 2 overall in 2024. Then again, when your circumstances change, there’s no point in pretending otherwise. What was supposed to be a rebuild is instead a championship window. If Peters ends up paying a price in 2027 or 2028, there’s a strong chance it will have been worth it. Peters had a first-year plan. He executed it to perfection. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt for seasons to come.

Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Washington’s helmets through the years

The Washington Commanders have had some iconic helmets throughout their 90-plus years of history. Check out all the looks Washington has had in their history.

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Podcasts & videos

“The Goal Is To Win” | Commanders’ 6th-Round Pick Matt Gulbin | Raise Hail With The Rookies | NFL

Is Jayden Daniels a Top 10 Quarterback In the NFL? Grant & Danny